With a Central education and the Central network!

Trong Bao, a December 2022 Central College graduate, changed his job prospect outlook when he had a not-so-chance meeting at the Central Career Fair with Josh Prokupek ’18.

The Central alum opened a door for Bao, who graduated with a degree in computer science and a minor in mathematics.

He met Prokupek along with four other Pella Corporation team members at their table during the career fair on Peace Mall. More than 30 companies attended the annual Central Career Fair hosted by the Career Development and Civic Engagement Office.

First Impressions

“Trong spoke about his work experience and internship at PPI, Inc.,” Prokupek says. “He shared how he asked his managers to do more and learn new areas. These are telltale signs of skills that are hard to coach or teach someone. Being willing to learn and asking for more work shows great drive. Additionally, Trong had experience that was very valuable.”

Prokupek remembers taking notes on Bao’s resume and writing “hire this kid” on the side. After the career fair, he sent an email to a Pella Corporation human resources representative for IT saying he’d had “a great conversation with a student at the career fair. I was blown away by his experience and desire to learn. He is in web development and app development. I really think we should scoop him up.”

Prokupek admits the timing was good.

“I was shifting from a remote position at Custom Window Systems, the Florida based company that Pella Corporation acquired, back to the corporate office in Pella,” Prokupek said. “I talked to my CWS manager at that time, Daniel Maxwell, who had a position opening at CWS. He asked if I thought Trong would be a good fit. I said, ‘Absolutely.’”

Connecting Connections

Prokupek did his research, too. He learned Bao had the same academic advisor at Central, Stephen Fyfe ’87, professor of computer science.

“I called Professor Fyfe to get his impressions of Bao. I was sticking my neck out for this student and wanted to make sure it was a good decision,” Prokupek laughs. “I can’t say I was surprised, but sure enough, he told me Trong was a great student.”

In his response, Fyfe shared an example of Bao’s eagerness to learn. Due to there not being enough students for a course, Fyfe had to drop a class. Bao still wanted to learn the content, so he approached Fyfe. The two met one-on-one weekly to complete the course. Fyfe assured Prokupek that Bao has a great attitude and desire to learn. He was impressed with Trongʼs enthusiasm and willingness to go the extra mile to learn the material. This spoke volumes about his dedication and commitment, making him an ideal candidate for any team.

“It was the impression that he made,” Prokupek says. “I appreciated the character validation from Professor Fyfe. Plus, I knew he was graduating in December. I know how it feels when an applicant is waiting for job offer decisions. It can be tough at that age. I just wanted to make sure that Trong felt heard and respected. And I didn’t want to lose him to another company.”

Prokupek added that Central does a good job of imparting skills like adaptability, resiliency, social skills and soft skills like communication. Learning new processes, talking to people and socializing are hard skills to coach at the corporate level.

Bao submitted dozens of job applications. He landed six interviews and received two job offers by the time he graduated. Both offers were from companies that attended Central’s Career Fair in Fall 2022. The connections built during the Career Fair made all the difference for Bao.

So, the Pella Corporation team expedited the process and Bao secured a job before graduating in December.

Since joining Pella Corporation’s family of businesses, Bao has met with Prokupek once a week as an informal mentor. They talk about technical things for the job but also topics a new graduate doesn’t know. They discuss navigating corporate life, professional growth and personal life.

Bao also remembers Prokupek as being a nice guy from Central. “He reached out to me and cared about how I was doing during the job search. He asked me about my interviewing process and how my applications were going.”

Having a Central alum as a mentor is valuable for recent graduates in the workplace.

“Josh is a great mentor because of his experiences,” Bao says. “It helps to talk with someone who has worked in different areas within my field.”

Hard Work Makes the Gains

Bao’s career journey was longer than that of most Central alumni. He moved to West Des Moines, Iowa, from Vietnam when he was 15 years old. He graduated from Valley High School but faced a financial challenge with state universities.

As an international student, the cost to attend is three times as expensive as in-state tuition. He attended Des Moines Area Community College for two years for general education requirements. This led to a job at DMACC and a gap year while Bao saved for his bachelor’s degree.

“I was interested in playing video games and thought I’d go into computer science to make games,” Bao laughs. As it turns out, making games is totally different thing than playing games. “It’s really hard,” he says.

The job at DMACC was more of a tech support position. Bao realized that was not where he wanted his career to go. He felt it was a great way to begin refining his career path and get something on his résumé.

Bao thought he was good at math but didn’t know what to do with a math major. He didn’t want to pursue a Ph.D. or teach.

A Helping Hand

This is where Central’s Career Development and Civic Engagement team steps in to support students. They provide individualized one-on-one career coaching as well as workshops and events.

“I give credit to Trong because he jumped in and reached out to us,” says Jess Klyn de Novelo ’05, associate dean for career development and civic engagement. “He struggled with employment opportunities and internships because he was an international student. We started with basic professional development and getting his résumé on point. Then, we worked on getting him comfortable in conversations and interviews and made sure he knew the events that our office provides for all students and alumni.”

The Central Network

“Our office works with students across their professional lifespan, during and after their journey at Central,” Klyn de Novelo says. “We can engage with prospective students and parents through admission events, talking about fun things like internships and what students can do and how they get to do it. We also network and leverage alumni resources.”

The team works on progressive planning with students from year one through year four. Year one and year two are more focused on exploration opportunities. The college offers workshops on purpose, passion and career exploration.

“We conduct strong interest inventories and intensive career coaching, so they understand what it means to take skills and identify opportunities,” Klyn de Novelo shares.

The office coordinates partnerships with classes like Principles of Marketing where they host a mock interview event every semester. It’s a holistic approach to meeting the students where they are.

By participating in Career Kickstarter, students can complete a micro-internship. The team works with students to determine if they need an informational interview with somebody currently working in the industry, which is when they really tap into the alumni network.

In their third and fourth years, the office works with students to refine their experiences through their résumés. The team will also review a student’s career exploration and internship coordination process. If students are struggling to find connections or networks, the team works in partnership with the student to identify opportunities and people in their industry. The office coordinates the for-credit internships to ensure paperwork is completed for proper credit.

Serving Students

Central’s Career Development and Civic Engagement office offers transactional and transformational services. They take calls from alumni with internship positions open at their organizations; leverage Handshake, a job posting platform, to make connections with interested students; and use bulk text and email notifications, so all students have the same access to opportunities.

In addition to the services and events this team provides, they also monitor trends in the marketplace and work closely with students as well as alumni. The office provides career support for alumni who may be going through a job transition or have worked in one industry for several years and are ready for a change to a new industry. The team can assist alumni in making connections of applicable skills for a new position.

“The career services office is unique at Central because we have this beautiful pool of alumni who want to be engaged and want to be part of helping other alumni,” Klyn de Novelo says. “When we ask for volunteers for networking dinners, career fairs and mock interviews, we get a lot of yeses from alumni. It’s wonderful.”

Klyn de Novelo cautions that when students connect with alumni, it doesn’t mean they will automatically get a job. But it opens doors many times to a hidden job market, especially for students who are first-generation, low-income or are just having a hard time finding something.

Alumni Helping Others

The alumni network is a huge benefit for students. Every year Klyn de Novelo watches students who have had a micro-internship or an internship at a company transition into full-time employment.

Prokupek is one of the many Central graduates who seamlessly transitioned from an internship into a career. He completed an internship at Pella Corporation during his junior year at Central and was offered a position in the company before graduation.

Bao took advantage of the resources available on campus. He attended professional development opportunities, networked and engaged with alumni and got an internship. He made strides in his personal development by completing many LinkedIn professional coding lessons. He worked on skills development and leveraged it on LinkedIn so people knew what he could do.

“Trong is very humble, kind and has a good work ethic. He took advantage of our workshops and skills-building opportunities on campus. He fostered alumni networks and connections while at Central which led to his success securing his first job,” Klyn de Novelo says. “He had the personal drive and intelligence and used our resources to secure success. We’re so proud of him.”

Alumni can use the Career Development and Civic Engagement Office to connect with graduates and students for internships and employment. Alumni may also find the services valuable for their own career re-evaluation. Contact the Career Development and Civic Engagement Office, at klynj@central.edu.

From on-campus resources to the global network of alumni who represent diverse industries and positions, Central students have a lifetime of support and encouragement.

Resources Available to Students

• Career Kickstarter and micro-internships
• Career and Internship Networking Fair
• Graduate school luncheon
• Handshake job postings
• Internship workshop and coordination
• Interviewing skills coaching
• Mock interview with Principles of Marketing class
• Networking dinner
• One-on-one coaching
• Personal financial workshop
• Resume and cover letter feedback
• Salary negotiations workshop
• Stipends to support students during unpaid internships

Forever Dutch^®

Your Central College experience doesn’t end with you crossing the stage to receive your diploma. You’re here for four years but you’re an alum for life!

If you’re hungry for even more ways to engage with Central, Mary Benedict, director of engagement has a whole list of ideas on how to best stay connected with the college:

• Alumni Updates: Let us know when you move, have children, get married, start a new job and more. We want to be sure our records are accurate, you know what’s going on at Central through newsletters and the magazine and we’re talking to you the way you prefer.
• Alumni Events: It’s never too late to attend your first alumni event! We have a diverse range of events we host throughout the year and we’re always open to new ideas.
• Central RED: Join Central’s lifelong learning program to meet new people, learn exciting things and eat great food!
• Come See Us: Let us know when you’re in town — no matter if it’s Tulip Time or a random day of the week! Stop by the Advancement Office in Central Hall to say hi, get your photo taken, your alumni gift, catch up and take a tour of campus.
• Homecoming: Don’t wait for your reunion to attend Homecoming. It’s one of the biggest, most fun events of the year! No matter your age, you’ll have a great time.
• Host An Alumni Event: Let us know if you’re interested in hosting an event in your area. Our team can help you plan and get communication out. It’s a great way to meet new people and connect with fellow Central family members.
• Legacy Program: Let us know about your children and we’ll send them a birthday gift on milestone years.
• Make A Gift: Our donors open doors by making a Central education and all the opportunities available to our students affordable. No gift is too small — it all adds up and has a direct impact on Central students!
• Refer A Student: Help us recruit the newest members of the Central family and refer them to Central!
• Speak To A Class: Let us know if you’d be willing to speak to a class and we’ll connect you with faculty members.
• Reconnect: We love bringing people together. Let us help you get in touch with friends with whom you may have lost contact.
• Volunteer: We’re always looking for volunteers whether it’s greeting for Move-In Day, sitting on a panel for visit days, connecting with prospective students, current students and young alumni or serving as a co-chair for your reunion.

To volunteer or get more information on how to get involved, contact the alumni engagement team at alumni@central.edu.